1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to concentrated surfactant mixtures of alkyl glycosides, alkyl sulfates and alkane sulfonates in the form of stable, free-flowing and pumpable liquids and to their use as compounds for the production of liquid detergents.
2. Statement of Related Art
It has long been known that alkyl glycosides containing long-chain alkyl groups are nonionic surfactants. The expert also knows (as described, for example, in A. M. Schwartz, J. W. Perry, Surface Active Agents, Vol. 1, Interscience Publishers, 1949, page 372) that surfactant mixtures generally show synergistic effects and often have detergent properties better than the sum total of the values of the individual components.
Detergents containing alkyl glycosides in combination with at least one typical anionic surfactant are described in European patent application EP 070 074. Detergents containing alkyl glycosides and anionic surfactants are known from European patent application EP 092 877. In addition, liquid detergents containing alkyl glycosides, certain other nonionic surfactants and anionic surfactants are known from European patent application EP 105 556. Liquid detergents containing alkyl glycosides and typical anionic surfactants are known from International patent application WO 86/02943.
In the production of liquid detergents, the individual components are generally used in the form of free-flowing solutions which each contain one substance or which, as so-called compounds, consist of several substances typically encountered in detergents. The components intended for mixing to the final detergent should have as high an active substance content as possible and, at the same time, should be easy to handle, i.e. they should be free-flowing and readily pumpable and should have high stability in storage. Alkyl glycosides are normally obtained in the form of highly viscous pastes.
The problem addressed by the present invention was to develop a storable liquid surfactant mixture from an alkyl glycoside paste.
This problem has been solved by an aqueous mixture of certain quantities of alkyl glycoside, alkyl sulfate and secondary alkane sulfonate.